Suthaharan Perampalam

Suthaharan Perampalam
Head of Social Research at Sparkwinn

Suthaharan Perampalam heads the social research division at Sparkwinn Research, Market and Social research agency based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Perampalam leads qualitative and quantitative impact assessment projects focused on bottom of pyramid population, especially in the areas of financial inclusion, poverty and affordable housing. Prior to this, Perampalam worked for LIRNEasia, a regional ICT policy and regulation think tank active across the Asia Pacific. He has managed researches to explore the opportunities for under-employed youth, women and previously excluded persons participating in micro-work platforms in India and Sri Lanka. The project lessons will inform policymaking and programming for solving unemployment.

Perampalam holds a Masters in Economics and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of Colombo and a Postgraduate Diploma in marketing qualification offered by CIM.

Articles by Suthaharan Perampalam

Friday
February 9
2018

Suthaharan Perampalam / Mithula Guganeshan

What’s Ailing Sri Lanka’s Microfinance Industry – And Could Fintech Provide a Solution?

In Sri Lanka, microfinance interest rates can be as high as 72 percent – outpacing even loan sharks, whose rates average around 40 percent. This often traps clients in severe debt and perpetuates cycles of poverty – while MFIs themselves often enjoy high profits, low expenses and lack of competitive pressure. Suthaharan Perampalam and Mithula Guganeshan of Sparkwinn explore the potential of fintech (and better regulations) in changing this dynamic.

Categories
Finance, Impact Assessment

Tags
Base of the Pyramid, financial inclusion, fintech, lending, microfinance, mobile finance, poverty alleviation, research

NextBillion - A WDI Publication

Contributor.